Kang Ning, Wang Yi, Chen Gong, Guo Chao, Zhang Zhanjia, Mei Donghui, Morrow-Howell Nancy, Wang Dongmin
Institute of Population Research, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China.
University of Iowa School of Social Work, 225B North Hall, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Sports Med Health Sci. 2022 Nov 12;4(4):239-244. doi: 10.1016/j.smhs.2022.10.001. eCollection 2022 Dec.
Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most common type of knee joint injury and also a risk factor for multiple health consequences and is prevalent among older women. The updated clinical guidelines for KOA treatment by the American Rheumatism Association recommend Tai Chi exercise. However, a literature review outlined limitations in Tai Chi intervention implementations. This study aimed to address some of the gaps. This study selected thirty female patients to participate in Tai Chi exercises and undergo relevant tests. The subjects were randomly assigned to Tai Chi or education groups. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare the difference in health indicators between the two groups after the intervention. The difference-in-differences (DID) regression was performed to assess the difference in the health outcomes between the two groups at baseline and follow-up and the difference in the differences. After the completion of the intervention, the Tai Chi group reported significantly improved KOA symptoms, physical fitness, and health status indicators than the control group. Specifically, the group differences were significantly larger at the baseline than at the follow-up. Our findings provide compelling evidence of the effects of the innovative Tai Chi exercise prescription specifically designed for KOA patients. The empirical evidence on its effectiveness in alleviating KOA symptoms and improving the overall health of middle-aged and elderly women with KOA suggested that Tai Chi intervention exercise has huge prospects for integration in KOA rehabilitation therapy.
膝关节骨关节炎（KOA）是最常见的膝关节损伤类型，也是多种健康问题的危险因素，在老年女性中普遍存在。美国风湿病协会更新的KOA治疗临床指南推荐太极拳运动。然而，一项文献综述概述了太极拳干预实施中的局限性。本研究旨在填补一些空白。本研究选取了30名女性患者参加太极拳运动并接受相关测试。受试者被随机分配到太极拳组或教育组。干预后，进行独立样本t检验以比较两组健康指标的差异。进行差异-in-差异（DID）回归以评估两组在基线和随访时健康结果的差异以及差异的差异。干预完成后，太极拳组报告的KOA症状、身体素质和健康状况指标比对照组有显著改善。具体而言，基线时的组间差异比随访时显著更大。我们的研究结果为专门为KOA患者设计的创新太极拳运动处方的效果提供了有力证据。其在缓解KOA症状和改善KOA中老年女性整体健康方面有效性的实证证据表明，太极拳干预运动在KOA康复治疗中具有巨大的整合前景。
